SD enterprise: Kelly Loefller’s Long Con—and What Happens If She Wins

Kelly Loeffler's Campaign Is a Test for the Intellectual Bankruptcy of Republicanism

One of the two Republican candidates in the Georgia Senate runoffs coming to a head this fine Tuesday has emerged as a neat avatar for the entire Republican project in the Year of Our Lord 2021. Kelly Loeffler is a former financial-services executive married to the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange who was appointed to her seat in the United States Senate by the governor of Georgia, so naturally she is running as a Political Outsider. This is a strategy that seems to be modeled on Donald Trump's successful presidential run, down to Loeffler's self-casting as a farm girl-turned-Businesswoman who pulled herself up by her bootstraps. "Ms. Loeffler," says the New York Times, "is the daughter of a wealthy farming family from central Illinois, who inherited large tracts of rich agricultural land when she was in her early 20s." But if a guy who inherited close to half a billion dollars and nearly blew it all running casinos—but still hatched enough scams to keep his golden penthouse in the sky above Manhattan's Fifth Avenue—can run as the Voice of the Heartland, anything is truly possible in America. Here's Jack Holmes on the stakes of the Georgia runoff, and what its results mean for the country's two major parties. Read More

This Is Pure Reaganaut Republicanism, Straight out of the 1980s Deregulatory Frenzy

In October, a team of scientists installed a teen-tiny device on a murder hornet in Washington and tracked it all the way back to its nest, the first murder hornet nest found in the United States. The researchers then sucked the nest—and the murder hornets—up with a vacuum device. It was our first triumph over that particular invasive species. Now, we're not suggesting that we install tracking devices on all the Trumpers that have infested the institutions of our government in order to suck them out of the bureaucracy by their heads. But it continues to be clear that the infestation is deep and vast and is going to require a thorough program of eradication. Here's Charles P. Pierce on the latest from the Trump administration*'s turn to anti-science in the service of corporate depravity. Read More

The 14 Best Henleys for Those Days When You're Feeling Extra Rugged

The henley is far more than a standard tee with a few buttons added in for visual interest (or, for that matter, a polo with the collar lopped off). No, sir. To dismiss it as such would be a grave disservice to notable henley-wearers around the world—Ryan Gosling, Kanye West, and your dear old dad very much included. The henley earned its reputation as a go-to layer for men as varied as the three above through its sheer versatility, sure, but also because it boasts a flattering design even the most ardent T-shirt devotee can get behind. Which makes it an ideal foundational piece to build any cold weather outfit around, whether you're rocking it solo with the heat cranked up indoors or as a base layer beneath all your puffiest winter finery. To any and all henley novices out there: welcome to your moment. Relish it. You really only get one. To help make sure you don't screw it up, here are 14 of the best henleys to buy right now. Read More

Unimatic's Tough-as-Hell U4-A Watch Sold Out—But It's Coming Back

The boutique brand watch segment has grown into a very interesting place for people who love watches but don't necessarily have the funds for a big-name brand. Not all boutique brands are created equal, however. Many, in parallel with millennial fashion brands, brag about market disruption and transparency and cutting out the middleman in order to bring you watches that are "exceptionally designed" (read: over-designed) and "exceptionally priced" (read: the off-the-shelf parts cost pennies). Such marketing hyperbole is increasingly a red flag, and faux limited editions are increasingly met with skepticism. But at a moment when product integrity is starting to hold more meaning for people than clever marketing, brands like Unimatic have a distinct advantage. Here's Nick Sullivan on Unimatic's U4-A watch, and why we love it so much. Read More

Cobra Kai Season Four Could See the Return of Karate Kid's Most Chaotic Villain

Thought Cobra Kai peaked with Season Two's school brawl? Yeah. No. How about the final couple episodes of Season Three, which saw the return of Elisabeth Shue as Ali, a needle drop of "Open Arms" for the ages, and an all-out war at Château LaRusso? Frankly, it wasn't only some of the best action we've seen in Cobra Kai—but it rivaled some of the highest moments in the Karate Kid films. That said, the final moments of Season Three set up a future for the show that'll double its stakes. Mainly: Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence finally, truly team up, merging their karate schools, in one last push to rid the Valley of John Kreese. It'll probably take us all the way until the premiere of Cobra Kai's fourth season to recover from it all. But when you're ready to step back into the dojo, intrepid karate students, here's everything we know about the next season of Cobra Kai so far. Read More

This Country Can't Get a Damn Thing Right Anymore

For a flat year, people hunkered down in their aquarium lives while many of their fellow citizens treated commonplace public health regulations as the Stamp Act or something. The people who hunkered down did so in anticipation of a vaccine that would restore some semblance of normalcy to daily life, and also to keep them safe from their fellow citizens who believed that the right to spread a deadly disease should not be infringed. Almost miraculously, science produced several vaccines in record time. And there was great joy unto all people. Then, because we are who we are, and our country is what it is, we fcked up the delivery of the vaccine beyond all recall. We poisoned the greatest breakthrough in the history of medical science with our idiot politics, which for decades have been held hostage by the forces of the decompensating political Right. For example, the meatpacking plants in places like Iowa and Nebraska became deadly hot zones for contagion very early on. Nobody disputes this. The corporate owners of these plants fought to reopen them, taking only minimal precautions. And, as it happens, these same plants depend vitally on immigrant workers, not all of whom are here with the proper documentation. These are people who were having a rough time of it anyway because we elected a vulgar talking yam to be President* of the United States. Now they were being sent back into death traps full of gutted swine and viruses. So, with the arrival of the vaccines, you would think that these workers would be safe for the first time since the pandemic began. But, if you think that, the management regrets to inform you that you can never be governor of Nebraska. Here's Charles P. Pierce on the crazy rhetoric now filtering down to our fellow citizens. Read More

SD enterprise

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

Kelly Loefller’s Long Con—and What Happens If She Wins

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